Same road. Now hitch the van.
Eight real routes planned twice, side by side: the car alone, and the car towing a 3.2-tonne off-road caravan. What the wind costs, what filling everywhere would have cost, and what FuelOracle saved.
Sydney, NSW to Melbourne, VIC, 881 km. 3 fuel stops towing, 1 solo. FuelOracle saves $53.70 against filling up everywhere.
- 52 kmMetro St Andrews63 L at 225.9¢$142.32
- 0 kmFill to full62 L at 254.9¢$158.80
- 196 kmFill to full21 L at 245.9¢$52.49
- 554 kmFill to full30 L at 255.9¢$77.21
- 30 kmMetro Milperra71 L at 237.9¢$168.91
- 370 kmShell Reddy Express Gundagai Tuckerbox25 L at 256.9¢$64.22
- 551 kmPearl Energy Albury63 L at 238.5¢$150.25
- 0 kmFill to full62 L at 254.9¢$158.80
- 196 kmFill to full55 L at 245.9¢$136.44
- 554 kmFill to full68 L at 255.9¢$174.79
| Leg | Span | Wind | Altitude | L/100 km towing | Burn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0-30 km | +29% against | +17% | 28.4 | 8 L |
| 2 | 30-370 km | +17% against | +4% | 23.7 | 80 L |
| 3 | 370-551 km | +5% against | -7% | 19.1 | 35 L |
| 4 | 551-881 km | +5% against | -7% | 19.1 | to destination |
Questions people ask about this run
How much does fuel cost from Sydney to Melbourne towing a caravan?
About $383.39 for a Defender 110 towing a 3.2-tonne off-road caravan, planned against the official prices and the wind forecast on 4 September 2026: 159 L over 881 km at roughly 22.4 L/100 km.
How many fuel stops from Sydney to Melbourne?
3 towing and 1 solo on this plan, with an 89 L tank starting a quarter full. The longest run between stops towing is 340 km.
Does the wind matter on Sydney-Melbourne?
On 10 September it cost the caravan run $35.24 (+14.6 L). FuelOracle checks the forecast wind on each leg for the day you leave, so the same road can price differently on a different day.
What would filling up at every servo cost on this run?
$470.03 towing. FuelOracle's plan saves $53.70 by choosing where to fill and how much to buy, not by driving further or filling less than it needs.
Fuel burn is modelled for this rig: the van behind it, the speed it holds, the climbs and the wind on every leg. The model is checked against the rig’s real fill-ups and tuned over time. Old-school is the same driver with no planning: fill to full at every stop, and whenever the next servo is out of reach.
These plans were generated once, on a fixed date, to show how FuelOracle helps you plan better and save time and money. Prices, opening hours and wind have all changed since, and every price and saving shown is a guide, not a guarantee. Do not use them to plan a real trip: plan your own and FuelOracle will plan it on today's prices and forecast.
Example plans use official state fuel price feeds and Open-Meteo wind forecasts, captured once on 4 September 2026. Coastline from Natural Earth. FuelOracle is an independent app and does not represent a government entity.